episode 410 - September 15, 2008

Time Bomb! Incredible!! Shoulda been a Feature Film!!! As crew members of The Closer we are treated, during our lunch hour, to a weekly screening of the Monday Night Episode, on the "Big Screen"; in the studio theatre. It is always incredible to see your work that big rather than on an inch measured television screen. Time Bomb flawlessly mixed humor and drama: Brenda being carried out over Sanchez's shoulder and later over the Bomb Tech's shoulder covered in a protective blanket so that even her always quirky hair was even more...quirky. Our incredible Director, Michael Robin, the Robin of Shephard-Robin, is amazing, he's like a kid in a candy store when he gets to direct a tour d'force like this; anything with guns, explosions, special effects, bomb sniffing dogs and robots, helicopters, uniforms, and locations, locations, locations is truly his drug of choice and it's always fun to watch and observe his creative mind at work. Michael had requested I choose a skirt for Brenda that would play up the "ha ha" factor and showcase Kyra's shapely gams when she was carried out, so natural, it had to be a repeat of one of her Irene pencil skirts, this the red and mocha zig-zag stripe paired perfectly in tone with a soft red Pure cashmere cardigan and a cafe au lait cami. Both now, I'm sure on sale from The Pure Collection since this was from their spring line and they are now offering their autumn colors. I re-used her spendy Chanel pumps that were recently featured on Yahoo's new Fashion Fest: The Thread.

So as an audience, even though we've sweat blood shooting the episode, we laugh at Provenza's potty humor, no pun intended. The we gear up for the middle of the episode when our gang is at the Home Store talking to the two tools that work there and we're just as surprised in the mall as all of you first time viewers, when the terrorist, dressed in black and camo, lines up his victims from the roof top skylight even though it was hotter than hell in that mall and on the roof, as it was again one of the hottest days ever when we shot there.

Of course in the first draft of the script and in our wardrobe meetings with the producers there was a chance that Brenda might need to be stunt doubled and might get blood on her clothes and might have to run and drop on the roof, so that's when I go into shopping mode and figure out what I can buy in multiples and worry about the budget and still give our girl the look she deserves. I had seen that pink tweedy soft sportcoat in a Neiman Marcus catalog months ago, I dug around in my stacks of catalogs and magazines and voila, there it was in all its pinkness, and On Sale!!! I picked up the phone and ordered six of them! We wound up using only one as she discarded the coat when she burst out of the roof top door and looked buff and tough in a Brenda-meets-Linda Hamilton Terminator tank top...this one a classic Theory tank. The gray wide leg slacks were Michael Kors from the Michael Kors Boutique in Beverly Hills and were way too expensive for an LAPD cop to buy especially when we had to have 4 pair!!! But to honor my Season Four Silhouette and not make Carlos be chained to his sewing machine, I chose to buy retail! But the shoot out left us all in the theatre collectively breathless, I don't think anyone took a breath till the terrorist blew himself up in a huge black cloud of smoke. Phew! And then tears were wiped and dabbed away as Brenda ascended with her wounded comrade Sanchez, into the wild blue yonder. Will he survive? Or won't he? Only the writers know for sure.

What will I take away from this season finale besides the incredible acting and action by this featured ensemble cast? And the equally incredible script and incredible guest cast and incredible direction by Michael Robin? I'll take away the incredible opportunity I have had to work on The Closer for four seasons. How we all sweat and were so bloody hot on the roof, and inside and outside the mall. The awesome full moon rising over downtown L.A. as the terrorist blasted his machine gun over a residential neighborhood and the real LAPD Helicopter was summoned and circled over our set. A cholesterol laden hot dog cart that Craft Service brought in that same day and I think I ate 4 dogs...in the heat. Incredible memories. Incredible fun. Incredible.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer/speaker and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Turner Entertainment Networks, Inc.